Preformed slab structures



April 5, 1949. E. c. HOGE 2,466,106

PREFORMED SLAB STRUCTURES Filed March 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.BY EDWARD CLYDE H065 April 5, 1949. E. c. HOGE PREFORKED SLAB STRUCTURESFiled March 2, 1944 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD CLYDE HOGEPatented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,466,106 PREFORMEDSLAB STRUCTURES Edward Clyde Hoge, Cincinnati, Ohio Application March 2,1944, Serial No. 524,673

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates most particularly to the construction of roof decksand ceilings for building wherein the units are in the form ofindividual slabs. In this type of construction there is becomingavailable a group of materials of high heat and sound insulation valueand of very light weight. vermiculite in cast form is one of these.Fibre glass compressed and with a binder of a suitable resin or othersuitable type, in the form of panels is another.

The problem of engineering in connection with the use of such materialsinvolves adequate reinforcement of the individual panels, and supportingstructure to compensate for the inherent weakness thereof. In thisconnection the problem i presented of tying the panels to the metallicStructural material that supports them, and also retaining the panels injointed relation to each other. Finally to satisfy the requirements ofmodern construction principles, the panel construction must resistupward lift equal to the downward acting load for which they aredesigned.

. My invention provides a solution for these various problems. Severalmodifications are shown in the accompanying drawings and will bedescribed. One of the principles of my departure consists in setting upa series of preformed panels with the joints between them overlyingmetal sub-purlins, with a through an overlap of the metal reinforcementof the slabs and then welded to the sub-purlins. Normally the slabs willbe arranged with lap joints or tongue and groove joints, although incertain aspects, butt joints may be employed for the slabs.

While it is an advantage to use ties which are merely thrust between themesh of reinforcing wire of adjacent panels which is arranged tooverlap, my invention contemplates as a most perfect tying device, ametallic member having a jaw which draws together and engages from abovethe end wires of reinforcing mesh of two adjacent slabs, and is drivendown through the lap, tongue and groove or butt joint between two slabsto a position for welding to a supporting sub-purlin. With this mostdesirable type of tie and with sub-purlins in both directions (normal toeach other) it is within my invention to form a welded together andcompletely unitary deck formed of a series of preformed panels. Morepractical however, will be the procedure of providing lap or tongue andgroove joints on all four sides of the panels and tacking the lengthwisejointsatthe corners of the panels.

therefor of sufficient strength series of ties extending In the drawingsillustrating exemplary practices within my invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a piece of welded wire mesh such as is usedto reinforce the panels of my construction.

Figure 2 is a cross section of a panel according to my invention.

Figure 3 is a cross section enlarged over Fig. 2-

showing one mode of tying together two panels.

Figure 4 is a section showing a modification of the tying pin used inFig. 3.

Figure 5 is a section like Fig. 3, showing the use of a different tyingclip, shown as being used with a lap jointed relation of two adjacentpanels.

Figure 6 is a perspective (enlarged over the other views) of the tyingclip of Fig. 5.

Figure '7 is a broken away perspective showing part of one type of adeck and supporting subpurlins, according to my invention.

Figure 8 is a section showing the use of the tying clip of Figure 6 witha butt jointed relation of adjacent panels.

Figure 9 is a perspective showing a portion of a panel which hasinterengaging joint forming means on all four sides, formed according tomy invention.

My invention has most particular relation to structural panels made oflight weight, insulation material. For fireproof construction this maybe advantageously formed of gypsum, vermiculite, or of fibre glass,compressed and held by a suitable binder. With the vermiculite orcementitious material, the panel will be cast as a unit with thereinforcement. When using the fibre glass or other sheeted materialnormally a single panel will be formed of two or more sheets of thesheeted material, with an interposed metal reinforcement and the wholebound together by a layer of suitable binder material about which thepartial thicknes sheets are compressed, thus making a unit of the properthickness with the reinforcement firmly imbedded therein.

A typical reinforcement mesh formed of welded together wires is shown inFigure 1, with crosswise wires l and lengthwise wires 2. The panel shownin Figure 2 is arranged for a lap joint construction. To this end thepanel 3 is provided with a step 4 at one side and an overhang 5 at theopposite end. The mesh is arranged so that slightly past midway of thestep and the overhang, the reinforcing mesh terminates in a crosswisewire I, the offset ends of the panel being about half thickness, thesewires are exposed in the individual panel. The view of the wire inFigure 2 is somewhat exaggerated.

As shown in Figure 3, in setting up a roof deck employed.

or a ceiling in a room, when the panels are ar ranged as indicated insaid figure; suitable tie pins 1 will be driven down through thematerial in such a position as to be thrust through between the spacedcrosswise mesh wires 1. The pins will have heads 1a, which engage theupper surface of the panels and may be countersunk I thereinto, asshown. When driven down into contact or just short of contact with themetal of the purlin or inserted inv preformed holes, the pins are weldedto the purlins as indicated diagrammatically at 7b.

This is accomplished by a known technique of applying a momentaryelectric charge to the: head of the pin, the circuit being completedthrough the sub-purlin, by a remote connection. 01' the weldingequipment may be applied by means. of two terminals, one to thesub-purlin near the weld point and one to the tie pin. Instead of usinga solid tie pin a hollow one may be used as indicated at 10 (Fig. 4-),and welding wire thrust into it to form a weld and fill the cavity.

In any event, however the weld may be: provided for, which may bearranged for in various known. ways, the result of welding the tie pinsin place will be to hold down the panels at the; joint and restrainspreading of the panels by interlock ing. the reinforcing mesh in eachpanel.

Another way, and one which is preferred, isv to provide a special tyingclip: such as is shown Fig. 6. This clip may be fiat, or in the form ofathirr piece of corrugated metal, with a jaw- 16 therein. The apex ofthis jaw as at H may be formed if desired as a pocket I-2, larger acrossthan the. walls of the jaw adjacent to its opening thereinto.

Taking a lap jointed set of panels, as show-n.- in Fig. 5', it will bepreferable in this instance to arrange the. mesh so that the crosswisewires lie about along the center line of the step. and overhang, at theopposite. sides thereof.

Thus asshown in- Fig. 5', the wires t are about. one on top of theother, at the lap joint surfaces When the panels are so arranged theclips are,- driven down through the joint, thus forcing? the two wires.to enter the jaw and bebrought to;-

gether and preferably mesh in the panels, and

is a metallic member 8-,v which iii) = ing welding,

panels may be butt jointed and if the reinforcing mesh is arranged withcrosswise wires at the abutting faces, the clips when driven down andwelded will, as illustrated, engage the mesh of each panel, hold thepanels down and hold them against separating from each other, as in thefirst example.

Any joint between the panels, such as a dovetail, can be used as well,care being taken to arrange the panel and mesh. proportions so thatreinforcing wires are present for engagement by or at least interlockingby means of the ties Thusin Fig. 9: the panel I4 is illustrated (whichmay be made of three sheets of material bound together) in which therewill be projecting portions. t5, and channel portions I6, forming tongueand groove joints. As in the lap joint the crosswise wires I, on twoopposite ends, will be located on a ledge and an overhang respectivelyas indicated. On the other pair of. edges or sides there will be a likearrangement but the lengthwise wires 2, will be the exposed wires. forthe tying operation.

Anyarrangement will be satisfactory of part: lap, part tongue and grooveand part butt, joints, the object being in the drawings to illustratethe various familiar constructions within the primciple of which myinvention can be applied.

The metal of the ties of whatever type notedu will. be such as tofacilitate the welding operation. They may be dipped in a. suitable.di:-- electric such as enamel if desired; to avoid chance: of a strayshort circuiting through. the mesh duralthough by my experience thiswill not constitute such a leakage as will. seriously impede a weldingvoperation wherein the sub-.- purlin-s are: simply grounded to a remotereturn circuit.

Among the welding practices will be to utilize a welding device known asa Nelson machine, and to preform. the holes for the: ties either inconstruction of the panels, orin situ with a proper shaped punch. TheNelson. machine will apply the; tie: pin or clip to the preformed hole,withdraw it slightly to draw an arc, and apply av momentary weldingcurrent while advancing thetie toward the sub-purlin.

or, in another practice (not devised by me) thees can be developed withfins or sharp points on the inner ends. which when the ties are drivenin, will: abut the sub-purlins and act as spacers. Then a triggeroperated machine will apply a momentary welding current, melting thetime and pushing the ties home against thev sub-purlins.

Where danger of burning or melting the panel material does: not;prevent, the tiesmay be relatrvely' blunt ended and driven home. Thereupon a very heavy current. momentarily applied will accomplishxtherequired welding.

I have shown, for illustration, 5, section of roof decks intypical:form. In Fig.. 7 the sub-purlins." are arranged to be spaced one. halfthe length of the: panels.

the; down load.

In, this case the panels are shown as of greater engage the wires on theledges and overhang" extending crosswise of the sub-purlins. This tiesthe entire structure together and will be advantageous in manyinstances. Of course with a rectangular arrangement of sub-purlins, thepanel joints could be formed and tied similarly in both directions.

There are various possible modifications within the spirit of thestructures and examples which I have shown, and the novelty inherent inall of them will be set forth in the appended claims, as well as noveltyinherent in exemplary forms such as those illustrated.

In the claims and the description above, I have referred to thereinforcing mesh as formed of wires, but this is for purposes ofsimplicity since the wires may be technically known as rods eitherextending in one direction of the mesh or both directions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A roof deck structural panel formed of a bonded heat and soundinsulating material of low structural strength, having a welded wirereinf orcing mesh embedded therein, said panel having joint-formingextensions of less thickness than said panel in opposed edges thereof,said mesh being substantially coextensive with said panel and extensionsand lying in a plane of said extensions intermediate the surfaces ofsaid panel, a wire of said mesh lying on said extensions adjacent andparallel to the outer edges thereof, whereby, when a series of saidpanels are juxtaposed with their respective joint forming extensionsoverlapping, the reinforcing mesh of each panel will overlap thereinforcing mesh of an adjacent panel, and the meshes of said series ofpanels will be substantially in a common plane intermediate thethickness of said series of panels.

2. A structural deck comprising a supporting structure of sub-purlins inspaced relation, rows of panels resting upon said sub-purlins each ofsaid panels being formed of a bonded heat and sound insulating materialof low structural strength, having a welded wire reinforcing meshembedded therein, said panels having joint-forming extensions of lessthickness than said panels in opposed edges thereof, said mesh for eachpanel being substantially coextensive with said panel and extensions,and lying in a plane of said extensions intermediate the surfaces ofsaid panel, a wire of said mesh lying on said extensions adjacent andparallel to the outer edges thereof, said panels being juxtaposed withtheir respective joint-forming extensions and meshes overlapping, themeshes of all said panels lying substantially in a common planeintermediate the thickness of said panels, and tie members passingthrough said overlapping extensions and meshes, locking said wirestogether, said tie members extending to, and being welded to, saidsub-purlins.

EDWARD CLYDE I-IOGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 767,723 Terpening Aug. 16, 19041,060,853 Peirce May 6, 913 1,067,854 White July 22, 1913 1,086,177Hultquist Feb. 3, 1914 1,421,335 Williams June 27, 1922 1,533,580Woodhouse Apr. 14, 1925 ,579,0 5 Marks Mar. 30, 1926 1,646,809 BrandtOct. 25, 1927 1,684,050 Adams Sept. 11, 1928 1,863,734 Venzie June 21,1932 1,902,789 Reel Mar. 21, 1933 1,941,769 Ward Jan. 2, 1934 1,954,89Ross et al Apr. 17, 1934 1,971,999 Venzie Aug. 28, 1934 2,034,080Bitzenburger Mar. 17, 1936 2,096,495 Hogg Oct. 19, 1937 2,177,264Relihan Oct. 24, 1939 2,220,349 Plumb Nov. 5, 1940 2,270,672 Heeren Jan.20, 1942 2,301,062 Long Nov. 3, 1942 2,338,246 Hoge Jan. 4, 19442,347,756 Swenson May 2, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,101Australia Aug. 29, 1927 429,803 Great Britain June 6, 1935 781,893France 1935 809,799 France Dec. 13, 1936 844,457 France 1939

